Method using blades and fins to form sheet material into a flower pot cover having inward fins

Abstract

An apparatus with pivoting blades and closable surfaces for forming a sheet of material into a flower pot or flower pot cover having fins. In an embodiment for forming outwardly extending fins, the apparatus includes a male mold and a plurality of plates arranged in pairs to define a forming opening. The male mold has a plurality of fingers which are laterally extendable from the outer periphery of the male mold. A pneumatic or hydraulic piston and cylinder is provided to move the male mold between a storage position spaced from the forming opening and a forming position within the forming opening. Each pair of plates is movable between an open position and a closed position. In operation, the fingers are extended to push folded portions of a sheet of material between the pairs of plates, which are closed to press the folded portions into fins. In an alternate embodiment for forming outwardly extending fins, pairs of movable plates are positioned between stationary segments. The plates move away from one another to press folded portions of a sheet of material against the adjoining stationary segments to form fins. In another embodiment, a female mold having closable female segments cooperates with blades which are pivotable between the female segments to produce outwardly extending fins. In an apparatus for forming inwardly extending fins, blades are pivoted to push folded portions of a sheet of material between segments of a male mold.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of forming a flower pot or flower pot cover having a plurality of radially inwardly extending fins, the steps of the method comprising: providing a male tool having a plurality of radially extending first plates and a plurality of radially extending second plates, each of the first plates corresponding with one of the second plates to define a fin forming pair of plates, the plates movable between an open position wherein each of the first plates is spaced a distance from the corresponding second plate to define a fin-forming space therebetween and a closed position wherein each of the first plates and the corresponding second plate are substantially together;   providing a blade assembly having a plurality of blades adapted for movement between a storage position wherein the blades are spaced a distance from the male tool and a fin-forming position wherein each blade is disposed in a corresponding one of the fin-forming spaces;   placing a sheet of material between the male tool and the blade assembly with the blade assembly in the storage position;   moving each of the blades radially inwardly into the fin-forming position with the plates of the male tool in the open position so as to force a portion of the sheet of material radially inwardly into each of the fin-forming spaces;   moving the blade assembly to the storage position to withdraw the blades from the fin-forming spaces; and   moving the plates of the male tool to the closed position after the blades have been withdrawn from the fin-forming space to form the portions of the sheet of material disposed in the fin-forming spaces into radially inwardly extending fins.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: creating a vacuum prior to withdrawing the blades from the fin-forming spaces to hold the portion of the sheet material in the fin-forming spaces.   
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: heating the first and second plates of the male tool to heat seal the portion of the sheet of material disposed within the fin-forming spaces.